Australian Open Tennis Betting Odds and Tips - Who will win in 2017?

The first tennis Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, takes place in Melbourne from the 16th to the 29th January and – as ever – it promises to be full of excitement. Here we will preview both the men’s and women’s tournament, with betting tips and predictions for each as we assess the main contenders and the betting value. We also have betting odds comparison for both which allows you to quickly find the best odds on your chosen player, thus ensuring you maximise your profits if your bets win!

So, without further ado, let’s start off by detailing the contenders for the men’s title… and yes, it is basically between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray! Then we’ll turn to the woman and try to work out whether anyone is up to challenging the Grand Slam dominance of Serena Williams.

There were four players who could feasibly be fancied to win a Grand Slam event in men’s tennis not so long ago. These days there are just two: world number one Andy Murray and the man he replaced at the pinnacle of the rankings, Novak Djokovic. While Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are both still very good players, neither is now a real match for Murray or Djokovic.

The betting odds for the Australian Open certainly back this notion up. The odds-makers are finding it hard to split the pair, with Betfred and Betfair pricing both men at odds of 13/8 to go all the way.

There is, not surprisingly, a rather large chasm – in betting terms – between the favourites and the next man. 2014 Aussie Open champion Stan Wawrinka is the third favourite and is available at standout betting odds of 14/1 with Coral (most firms price him at 12s). Given that he’s been there and done it before, and has also won the French Open and US Open titles, many will see this price as solid each way value. And indeed, if either of the main two men slip up, it would be no surprise to see Wawrinka in the final instead.

Next up is Nadal, but we are of the strong opinion that his best days are well behind him. While he might still be able to mix it with the best of them on clay (though even that is debatable), on the Plexicushion surface of Melbourne we just don’t think he’s in the same league as Murray and Djokovic. If you disagree, you can back the man from Majorca at odds of 14/1 with Betfair.

Canadian 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic (20/1 with Sky Bet) and the legend that is Roger Federer (22/1 with BetVictor) are the only other two players who have even the sniff of a chance of success Down Under in our opinion. But, in reality, we think this will come down to a straight battle between Djokovic and Murray – as it did in the finals of this tournament in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

As it happens, the Serb prevailed on all four of those occasions, but we have a sneaking suspicion that 2017 will be the year Murray – now Sir Andy, of course – will triumph and earn his first Australian Open title.

It is of course true to say that Djokovic has enjoyed the lion’s share of success when these two have met – the Serb has won 25 to Murray’s 11, and is 8-2 up in Grand Slam matches. But Murray finished 2016 so strongly that he could be seen to have the momentum on his side. That is despite the Scot losing out to his rival in the close fought and high class final of the Qatar Open recently.

The reason we feel it is Murray’s time to shine is that he is the one who will want it more. Djokovic has won everything there is to win, including the career Grand Slam. And while Novak is clearly still hungry for even greater success, we feel that Murray is the one who will have just that little bit extra when it matters as he attempts to carve his own name in the history books.

So while it really could go either way if – or when! – these two greats of the game meet in the final of the Australian Open, our money this year is on Andy Murray at best betting odds of 13/8 with Betfred. Of course, the odds are likely to fluctuate as the tournament progresses, so be sure to check our live odds comparison for the best price!

Turning our attention to the women and – as usual when a Grand Slam rolls around – there is a clear favourite in the betting: Serena Williams. Priced at best betting odds of 5/2 with Bet365 and others, Serena has already won this tournament six times, the most of anyone in the open era. She’s still some way behind Aussie legend Margaret Smith Court who won 11 Australian Open titles altogether (seven in the amateur era, four in the open era), but few would bet against Serena edging that little bit closer this month in Melbourne.

Though Serena has won this tournament so many times, it is worth noting that she has only won one of the last six (in 2015). Last year she was beaten in the final by current world number one Angelique Kerber, and it is the German who we feel offers the best value ahead of this year’s Melbourne showpiece. Priced at attractive betting odds of 4/1 with Coral (when other firms are offering just 3/1), Kerber had an outstanding 2016, winning both the Aussie Open and the US Open and making the final at Wimbledon (where she lost to Williams).

Given that Kerber won both her Slams on hard courts and is at home on Plexicushion, we fancy she could have the edge over her American rival on that surface. She is also seven years younger than Serena, something that could prove highly significant as the women’s game gets evermore dynamic.

Of the other contenders, third favourite Garbine Muguruza is a player on the rise. Hailing from Spain, the 23 year old made the final of Wimbledon in 2015 before really showing what she’s made of by winning the French Open last year (beating Williams in the final). Though she’s never been past the fourth round in Melbourne, we fancy this could be the year in which she makes a real impact. A gutsy and powerful player who is adept at dictating baseline rallies, we think she’ll cruise to the quarters and then she has every chance of progressing further if she’s on form. Priced at best betting odds of 10/1 with Sky Bet, she’s a very good each way pick.

Overall, though, for the outright winner of the women’s Australian Open we have to go with the German world number one, Angelique Kerber at 4/1 with Coral. Serena could well put up a decent fight but we think her star is very much on the wane and it’s time for others to shine.